Death Con
by A-Giant-Fan
Summary: Sashiro Togan finds himself trapped in a strange bar, where he's forced to play darts against a child for his life. As he tries to plan an escape, he begins to unravel his lost memories, and realizes that what he thought was a trap may actually be the penalty of his illegal activities.
1. The Bar of Disclosed Location

_What am I doing here?_

_What is this place?_

_Sounds like an elevator...I have a bad feeling about this._

_...How did I get here?_

_...Why can't I remember anything that happened?_

_**DING!**_

The elevator door opened, and he carefully stepped out. In front of him was a short hall that turned left, and he saw a small creek ahead surrounded by tall sticks of fresh green bamboo.

"...I'm not supposed to be here."

_Easy, Sashiro, slow your heart rate. Examine the situation thoughtfully. First, make sure you have all your belongings._

Sashiro fixed the sleeves of his black dress shirt and straightened his lime green tie before brushing off dust from his charcoal dress pants and shoes."I'm fine," he murmured to himself, "now to figure out my present location."

Pressing his back against the wall he peeked around the corner down the hallway, ever cautious not to be seen.

_It's a bar, obviously a private one. I can see three people, alive. The bartender with the white hair looks dangerous, but the black haired woman and young child don't seem to be a threat...yet._

He noticed the bartender look his way, and he ducked back behind the wall.

_Don't tell me they were expecting me! I don't remember anyone like them hiring-_

"Hello?"

He froze. The young woman smiled at him, and he could tell it was genuine. "Will you come join us?"

_Act natural. They may be your next clients._

He gave her his warmest smile and quickly swept his hand through his side-combed brunette hair. "I'm terribly sorry to keep you waiting, miss. I've always been a bit shy around such beautiful girls as yourself."

The girl's eyes widened in surprise, and he could make out the faintest blush of her cheeks. "Thank-you, sir."

"Please, the name's Hajime Tan."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Hajime. Please do join us." She gestured towards the bar counter. "He's waiting to serve you."

He followed her down the hall, and he examined the rest of the room. There were tables set up around the counter, and a larger tank filled with small jellyfish walled off a large, vacant space Sashiro could only presume was for celebratory purposes. "What a lovely establishment you run here, miss...?"

She frowned. "I'm afraid I don't remember my name."

"Oh, I'm sorry, that was inconsiderate of me."

"It's only natural to ask someone for their name," she replied, "no need to be so formal."

"Ah, right."

_I need to stay alert. If they see through my character I'll be at the disadvantage._

"My name's Mayu Hakuba!"

Sashiro looked down to find the young girl staring up at him, grinning ear to ear. She had a round face, her black hair in two pigtail and her pale skin complimenting her hazel eyes and lemony gown. "I like your eyes! They're very blue! I'm seven and a half, and I love apple pie!"

_I was right, she's no threat. _"It's an honour to be in the presence of such a lady," he bowed to her and shook her plump fingers, "my name is Hajime, Hajime Tan. I also enjoy the occasional pie."

"I know, right?!"

The black haired woman signalled to the bartender. "He would like to speak with you now." She took Mayu's hand and led her over to the table. "Let's go talk over here, Mayu."

"Okay! Can I call you Missus? Oh, how about Missy! I like that!"

_Alone with the bartender. It's time to get some real answers._

Fixing his tie once again he stepped over and sat down at the counter, where the bartender was preparing a drink. "Welcome to the Quindecim Bar," the man bowed to him, "my name is Decim, and I will be your bartender."

"Thank you. I'll take your regular poison."

"Of course."

Decim quickly prepared Sashiro a light glass of a drink he could taste little alcohol in. _He wants me to be sober...I need to know where this Quindecim Bar is, and why I've never heard of it._

"I know this may sound strange to you," Decim broke his concentration, "but I must know – do you remember anything prior to arriving here?"

"Prior?..." Sashiro thought hard, but he found his mind was still blank. "...Nothing of importance, I'm afraid."

_So I was drugged beforehand and brought here down the elevators. If I can get back to them, they'll be my escape route._

"Look," Sashiro let his act drop for the moment, "let's get some facts straight first. Am I still in country, or have you brought me far out? I want the exact location or you get nothing from me. I'll also be needing the name or main alias of your leader."

"Of course, but first," Decim took his empty glass and began to clean it, "I must explain your situation."

"Fine, but I'm on high alert. You alone speak to me. Leave you partner dame out of it."

"Yes, sir." Decim placed the glass down. "Listen closely, please."

"Firstly, I'm afraid that I can't give you your exact location at this time."

_I must be somewhere that connects to his leader's other outlets, or it wouldn't be so hush-hush._

"Secondly, I'm going to have you and the young girl over there play a game."

_A game? With the girl? _

He glanced behind his shoulder. Mayu was cheerfully gabbing away with the black haired woman, as if nothing had changed about the situation, like she was used to being alone in strange bars."What do you mean when you say "Game"?"

"Your game will be decided by roulette," Decim continued, ignoring his question. Sashiro studied the glass window behind the man as an electronic board slid down with nine red squares marked off.

"I must also tell you," Decim added as he reached under the counter and pulled out a small red button, "the stakes in this game are high."

Sashiro gave Decim a cold glare. "How high are you reaching?"

Decim's expression remained emotionless, impossible to read.

"Your lives are at stake."


	2. A Game With Fatefully Liable Odds

Sashiro felt like an amateur for letting his blood run cold, but it was a surprising revelation Decim had given him. "Our lives? You mean mine and the child's?"

"Yes," Decim continued to show no emotions, "and unfortunately, until you complete the game, neither of you can leave."

"Is that a threat?"

"No, it's the truth."

_I shouldn't risk questioning whether he's telling the truth or not. I can't read his face, but I also can't detect a lie in what he's saying. They aren't new clients, they're cleaners, removers – killers, and I was a fool for falling into their trap._

"Alright, look here, Decim," Sashiro was through acting the gentleman, "the last thing I remember was attending a lavish masquerade party by a very wealthy businessman in New York on a matter of important business myself. When my client finds out you've gone and interrupted my work you'll be hearing it from him full volume, and your little death trap will be history."

"I'm afraid that no one will know you're here."

"They'll find me, dead or alive, and you'll get an earful. Now," Sashiro stood and stepped back, "what happens if I decide not to play your game?"

Decim stepped to his left and held his hand up towards the back wall. "I would suggest you cooperate."

The wall suddenly opened up, and Sashiro saw an open space behind a large glass window had been hidden. He peered inside.

"...I see."

He heard a shrill scream. Turning he saw Mayu staring a horror at the wall. "B-b-bodies! Dead bodies! No, no!" She clung to the woman who hugged her tightly a she bawled her eyes out in her arms. "I-I don't wanna, no, no, no!"

_She couldn't tell they were nothing more than dummies. _

"Mayu, it's fine, they're not-"

"Sashiro Togan."

_Wait._

He returned his attention to Decim, and for the first time he found emotion.

A threatening morbidity.

_He wants Mayu to be afraid? Who is she? Is she related to his leader? And how did he know my real name?_

"Look, Decim," Sashiro leaned over the bar counter, grabbed Decim's collar and pulled him close to his face, where he spoke into the bartender's ear, "I can see you're related to my latest client, since he's the only one I've ever given my real name to. I know those bodies aren't real, you moron, so let me talk to the head honcho or I'll give you a real collection, starting with your strangled corpse."

Decim firmly gripped Sashiro's shoulders and pushed him back. "I'm afraid I can't let you speak to my boss, and it would be best not to let Mayu know the bodies are fake. Now, if you would please press the button to start the game."

_This man...who does he work for? Could he be doing this under Tadashi's order?_

* * *

"_You're sending me to New York?" Sashiro had only been three times before due to work, so he wasn't fond of going somewhere he didn't know like the back of his hand, but the pay was too good. "This rival of yours is quite the man, then?"_

_Mr. Tadashi was a strapping man of middle age, his chin square and his hands like bricks. He sat at a cluttered desk and read over the contract Sashiro had given him, scratching his red head and smirking. The room reeked of smoke from his fat cigar._

"_You're a wise boy to be taking on such an opportunity, Sashiro. To think you'd trust me with your own real name."_

"_I have no family or connections for you to threaten, and you're paying me an extra five grand to know, so I couldn't pass it up."_

"_Good, good," Tadashi stood and walked around the desk until he was beside Sashiro, "and yes, this man, my rival, my only true rival, is quite the man."_

"_So you want to me to-"_

"_Not him." Tadashi took a thick swig from his smoke and exhaled three rings. "The heir. That man will crumble as soon as his backup plan is dealt with."_

_Sashiro had read up on his target. "If you haven't read my contract yet, you'll find that it clearly states that I don't-"_

"_Just this once." Tadashi put a gruff hand on Sashiro's shoulder, nearly squeezing the bones to dust. "Just this once, and you'll be home free, Sashiro. Fail, and you will pay the penalty, boy."_

* * *

_So this is the penalty. Does that mean I've already failed my mission?_

As Mayu continued to wail, Sashiro studied the button. "...If this is your idea of a sick joke," he glared at Decim, "then once I'm finished, I go straight to your boss to share a drink and give my thanks, got it?"

Decim didn't respond. Left with no choice, Sashiro sighed and pressed the button. The red board came to life, and each square began to blink, until it slowed to a halt. The top left square flipped over, and Decim gave a small nod.

"You'll be playing darts, then."

A loud blast came from the open room behind the large aquarium, and Sashiro watched in awe as yellow smoke billowed out from the ground, until it dissipated, leaving two huge metal cylinders in the centre that reached to the top of the room. They then opened up, revealing colourful dartboards with the scores 500/500 electronically counted above.

"...So," Sashiro stared at Decim, desperately trying to find some sort of feeling in his expression, his movements, "your sickening game involves throwing darts at a board? What's the catch? Do those scores have to do with how you choose your _loser_?" He let the word roll off his tongue like a cuss.

"Whoever has the lowest score will lose," Decim explained as if he had a hundred times before, "and only the highest score will survive."

"The loser dies, then?"

"Yes."

Sashiro found his gaze falling onto Mayu, the black haired woman petting her comfortingly.

_One of us is going to die here..._


	3. Darting Around the Clear Answers

"Shall I explain the rules?" Decim stepped out from behind the bar and marched over towards the dart boards.

"Give us a moment," Sashiro demanded. He wasn't in the mood to be ordered around, and he needed a minute to think things through. He glided over to the black haired woman's side, where she comforted the distraught Mayu, who shook like a broken washing machine.

"Mayu." He bent down beside her and looked into her tear-strained eyes. "Mayu, listen to me."

Before he could say anything else Mayu lunged at him and clung to his neck, sobbing and heaving. "P-please, I-I don't wanna...no...!"

Sashiro couldn't help but feel slight pity for the girl, being dragged into a life or death situation. What he wondered was how she was related, or if she was simply an innocent pawn in Decim's sick game. Either way, the game was afoot, and there was no way around playing it.

"...You're not going to die, Mayu."

"...I-I'm...n-not?"

"No, you're not."

_Maybe Tadashi forgot, but I don't sit around while kids get killed off for pleasure. And to think, he only wanted my real name so Decim could put me off guard – brilliantly sinister of him._

"Listen to me, Mayu," Sashiro rubbed her tears away, "we're going to play a simple game of darts, and you're going to win, no matter what, okay?"

"B-but, if we pl-play," she gasped, "I-I'll d-die!"

"No, you won't. Only the loser dies, right?"

She slowly nodded in understanding.

"Well, since you're going to win, you won't die, right?"

Again she nodded.

"Then you don't have to be afraid. I won't let you die."

"B-but...then you'll d-die."

Sashiro felt like he was hearing those words for the first time. They stung, but he kept his composure. "...I can live with that."

"B-but-"

"Come, let's start the game, and then you can go home safe."

"...Uh-huh."

The black haired woman guided them over to two small tables, where each had a box of seven darts, one yellow for Mayu and one red for Sashiro.

_What a fitting colour._

"The rules of the game are simple," Decim began his monotonous explanation, "each player begins with 501 points. Depending on where the player strikes the board with one of seven darts, those points will be taken off from their own score. The lowest score at the end of the game wins."

_Simple so far._

"Red stands for double, and blue for triple," Decim continued, "and one more important detail."

Sashiro watched as the dartboard sections were replaced with images of various organs of the body. "Each section represents a different part of your body. When a player strikes that organ, the opponent will feel it."

_Wait...what?_

Mayu shivered beside his leg. "Oohhh...I don't wanna play this game."

"It's okay," Sashiro crouched down beside her, "I won't hit the board at all, so you won't feel any pain, and you'll win."

"...I won't hit the board, either."

"If you don't, you won't win, and it'll end in a draw."

"Then what?"

He glanced over at Decim.

"...I'd rather you not find out."

_I can only assume the worst._

"Shall we begin?" Decim pointed at the boards. "Miss Mayu, you may go first."

Mayu looked at the darts with utter fear, then at the board, then back at the darts. "...Can I...have a stool? I'm too short."

"Of course." Decim bowed and gestured to the black haired woman, who in turn grabbed a stool and set it down beside Mayu. "Here, let me help you onto it. Do you want me to hold you while you throw?"

"No," Mayu replied as she balanced herself, "I'm fine...could you maybe hand me my first dart, please?"

The woman picked up the first dart and handed it to Mayu, who then aimed carefully at the board. "I'll try not to hit your heart, Hajime."

"It's fine," Sashiro said, "I doubt they'll actually hurt. He just said that to scare us."

_Unless they've placed some sort of stimulant in that drink that forces me to assume pain whenever darts are thrown...how was I so stupid as to drink it?!_

Mayu waited a moment, then tossed the dart as best she could. It hit one of the bottom sections in the top section.

_That's my liv-!_

"Ah!" Sashiro bent over in pain as his liver seemed to burst. "H-how?!"

_They did drug me!_

"Hajime!" Mayu yelped and covered her eyes. "I-I didn't mean to...!"

Sashiro breathed deeply as the pain subsided. _I don't feel any long-term effects..._

"It's alright, Mayu," he explained, "it was just a quick jab in the gut, that's all."

She removed her hands from her face. "...Y-you sure?"

"I'm positive. See?" He rubbed the area near his liver. "No blood, no nothing."

"Good."

"It's your turn, _Hajime_," Decim spoke in a soft voice, and Sashiro wondered why he hadn't revealed his real name to Mayu yet.

_I know he knows, so what's his deal?_

Taking into account Mayu's lower score, he grabbed the first red dart and held it tightly as he aimed. "..."

He threw it with little patience, and heard a satisfying _clink! _as it hit the rim of the board and fell to the ground.

"Very good," Decim announced, "Miss Mayu?"

Mayu seemed lost in thought, staring at the dart Sashiro had thrown as if it was going to stand up and leap onto the board by itself.

"It's not going to move," Sashiro assured her, "you're safe."

"...You're okay," she asked quietly, "okay with dying? Are they really going to kill you, Hajime?"

Sashiro couldn't look her in the eyes. He certainly didn't like the idea of dying from a game of darts, or dying at all, for that matter. However, he had a code of conduct to keep, and no amount of barbaric play was going to break him.

"...Who knows?" He smiled at her. "Maybe they won't kill either of us."

"...Yeah," Mayu answered, though she didn't smile, "I'd like that."

"Me, too. Now," he led her eyes to the darts, "time for your second throw."

_Six more darts, and then I'm dead._


	4. Memorable Misthrows

"Okay...here I go..."

Mayu held the dart carefully, and threw it at the board. It nearly missed, but hit one of the top sections of the board.

_My eyes!_

Sashiro felt a flaring sensation erupt in his eyes, and he shut them tight, covering them with his clenched fists. "Ah, ah..."

Within a few seconds it was over, and he stood again, his arms dropped at his sides. "This is going to seriously get annoying...good shot, Mayu."

He glanced over at her to find her staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. "...Mayu?"

"...I remember."

"Remember? You mean, you lost your memories, too?"

She bowed her head and brushed her hair back, and Sashiro saw a small smile emerge on her face, deep dimples hugging her cheeks.

"My father was holding a birthday party for me...I was upstairs, getting into my yellow gown...," she grabbed the edges of her dress, "this one. Mother bought it for me, but she passed away a few months ago."

"...I'm sorry."

"It's alright," She sighed and picked at her nails, "father always lets me have my friends over, so long as he knows the parents. It was going to be a very big party...a masquerade party..."

"...But your seven and a half, aren't you? Shouldn't your party have been six months ago?"

"...Daddy said I could have my party when enough of his friends were in town."

_Oh, so he's your typical rich daddy who only does what's best for his daughter if it suits him._

Mayu gave him a sweet smile. "What are your parents like, Hajime?"

"I don't have parents, Mayu. I lost them at a very young age, so I've been raising myself for as long as I can remember."

"Aww, so...you're an orphan? Like Batman?"

_If Batman were a killer, then yeah, I'd be putting out those vibes._

"Hajime, what do you do for a living?"

"...I'm a janitor. I clean up after people's messes."

"That's pretty cool!"

_Guess she's too young to question why a janitor is wearing such a fine suit._

He picked up one of his darts and aimed, this time near the bottom. He tossed it gently, and it hit the ground a few inches away from the board.

"Oops, guess I missed again-?!"

A white light flashed before his eyes, and his vision was filled with different scenes from his past.

_That's right...I had arrived in New York the day before my mission was to take place...stayed in some shabby motel down the road from his mansion...wait...those are..._

He saw before him a young blonde woman and her oriental man, cradling a small infant in their arms.

_Mom and dad...?_

It shifted, and they were now swinging beside Sashiro, four years old, in a lofty park.

_Why am I remembering these?_

Again it shifted, to memories of his fifth birthday, first day at school, sleepovers with his friends, shopping with his mom, playing tag with his dad...

_Please, stop this. I know where this is going._

The scene grew dark. It was his house, small and comfortable – his parents lying on the ground, dead, a knife through each of their backs.

_The killer had never been caught._

"_You'll make a name for yourself," _an strangely familiar voice ringed in his ears, _"you'll do great things, Sashiro Togan."_

"...Hajime?"

Sashiro snapped back into reality. "Uh, sorry about that...daydreaming."

"Daydreaming about what?"

"Old memories."

"Oh!" Mayu grinned. "You're getting your memories back, too?! That's great, Hajime!" She glanced back at the black haired woman. "Is it because of the dart game, Missy?"

The black haired woman shrugged, then gestured to Decim. "The farther you play," he said, "the more memories you will unlock."

_This is far beyond strange, _Sashiro thought as Mayu grabbed her third dart, _how can they control what memories we find? No amount of drugging should be able to persuade me to see only the memories they choose,and even then, how would they know what memories I have? Could they be some sort of psychic movement?_

"Kay," Mayu tossed her dart, and it struck a section that framed the image of the shoulder muscles.

"Ah," Sashiro held his shoulder tightly as it seemed to twist and tug, "these..penalties...are a bit extreme, Decim."

As his shoulder relaxed he looked Decim in the eye. "Can I ask how long you've gotten your jollies from torturing people like this?"

"I cannot answer that question, I'm afraid."

"What about you?" He pointed to the woman. "You the head honcho, or the sidekick dame?"

She frowned and crossed her arms. "I didn't choose this, you know."

_So she's been forced to help? Doesn't seem to mind the work much..._

"No more questions from me, then. For now."

He picked up his third dart.

_Why even bother tossing them?_

Casually he flipped it over the white line in front of his feet and let it drop to the grow, a whole foot away from him. "Let's get through with this-?!"

His chest burst into a flourishing pain, and he found himself falling onto his knees and hands. "Wait...how...?!"

He felt a harsh cough coming on, and covered his mouth. After nearly falling over from the fit, he removed his hand – to find it stained with blood. The same blood trickling down from the corners of his mouth.

_What?_

He spit it out on the ground, and glanced over at Decim in time to notice him hide a strange remote behind his back.

_That sneaky little..he's placed some sort of nanites inside of us?! Remote controlled to harm us if we don't play by his rules..._

"Hajime!" Mayu jumped off her stool and to his side. "Is that...b-blood?! Oh my gosh, you're bleeding!"

"It's okay," Sashiro wiped it away with his sleeve, "I'm fine."

The woman stepped over behind him. "Would you like to wash up in the bathroom."

_And leave Mayu alone with you lunatics? Yeah right._

"I'm okay," he stood up, "let's keep going. Mayu, you can throw now, and don't worry – it's nothing."

Mayu slowly rose to her feet, then glared at the boards.

"...Hajime."

"?"

"Hit the board this time."


	5. A Naive Bravery

"What did you say?"

Mayu didn't look away from his bewildered stare. "You heard me – hit the board this time. Throw the dart and hit it. I know you can."

"Mayu, if I do that, you'll-"

"I know that!" She looked up at him with a certainty that nearly startled him.

"I know it'll hurt, but I want you to do it, any way. Besides, it might help us regain all of our memories, right?"

_I've never seen someone with such conviction..._

"...Alright – but I'm only aiming for the lower points, got it?"

"Got it."

As Mayu returned to her stool she picked up her next dart. Taking careful aim she tossed it with great force, and it hit the board spot on.

_That looks like my heart._

Pain rippled through his body, and Sashiro did his best to stay standing as he took deep breaths.

"Hajime! Are you okay?!"

"Y-Yeah...I'm fine...!"

His vision went white again.

_What?! More memories? How?_

He saw his younger self training in a Dojo, watched by a group of older men. They congratulate him on his success, before the memory fades to him talking to a fine young man in a green sweater and jeans, smoking and patting Sashiro on the head.

"_You've come a long way," _he spoke softly, _"from that night. You're going to make a fine living."_

The memory fades again, this time to a party.

_This...this is my latest mission, isn't it? From Mr. Tadashi..._

All around him are faceless party goers, expressions blank, wearing fancy gowns and suits that made his outfit feel unsightly. He waded through them towards a pairs of spiralling stairs, before he finds his own hand turning a brass knob...

"Hajime."

He glances up at Mayu, whose nodding her head. "It's your turn."

_Where was that snivelling child I saw only moments ago?_

He looked over at Decim to make sure he wasn't about to press another button, and picked up a dart. He aimed towards the outer ring, looking for the least painful place to hit.

_There's the liver...the spleen...the stomach...oh!_

He threw the dart, and managed to hit the board on the knee image.

"Ow!" Mayu crouched down and hugged her knees. "Ow, ow, ow!"

Sashiro could see tears forming in her eyes. "Mayu, if I keep doing this, there'll only be more pain."

"...Mother..."

"What?"

Her eyes closed, Mayu gently rocked back and forth, the black haired woman holding her back so she wouldn't fall off the stool. "I can see my mother...we're shopping at the mall...but then, we're in the hospital...I miss her..."

_I know the feeling._

"Now It's just me and daddy...I'm alone in my room...I only have a few friends...now, it's my party, and I'm alone in my room again...I haven't even done up the bow on the back of my dress..."

_The bow...?_

Sashiro glanced at the back of her dress, and noticed that her bow was undone.

_She was taken during the party, then..._

The black haired woman rubbed Mayu's back. "Are you alright?"

Mayu's eyes opened, and she wiped away the tears. "I'm fine...could you do up by bow, please, Missy?"

"Yes, Miss Mayu."

As the black haired woman did up her bow, Mayu reached over and grabbed the next dart. "This is my forth dart, right?"

"Yes, Miss Mayu."

Mayu stood up on the stool and eyed the board. "...I trust you, Hajime."

"Hm?"

"That's why I'm not as scared as I was before." She smiled at him. "Because I trust you."

_You really shouldn't._

"But...if this is real...are you truly okay with dying here, Hajime?"

_Am I?...I suppose it doesn't matter. I mean, I could easily win the game from here, but...what good would it do? I'm already too deep in..._

"As long as you're safe, it's fine."

"...Thank you, Hajime."

Mayu grinned, and threw the dart, this time hitting a finger symbol. Sashiro felt his fingers begin to pulse, and he clenched them tightly.

_Decim's got some weird agenda. Watching people stand here in pain...and I'm assuming that darts aren't the only game he's got people to play._

"...Decim."

"Yes?"

"If I hadn't landed on darts, what would we have been playing?"

"One of an assortment of other activities."

"Such as?"

"I can't say, I'm afraid."

"Why? Your boss watching us as we speak?"

"Something like that."

Sashiro sighed. _This isn't getting me any answers. All I know is that Decim and his dame are tight lipped, and that his boss MIGHT be watching us. Nothing about our location, or if Tadashi is involved...no, he has to be involved. He's the only one who knows my name...other than..._

"Decim."

"Yes?"

"You're not working for Kinto, are you?"

"I've never heard of Kinto before."

"Good."

He should have known. His old teacher, the one who found him and raised him...he would never put Sashiro through something like this. They were too similar in conduct.

"Hajime, who's this Kinto?"

"He was an old teacher of mine, Mayu. He taught me to fend for myself."

"Cool."

_She's suddenly so easy going...then again, I'd be willing to trust anyone if my father kept me locked away for his own reasons._

He took up his next dart, and quickly tossed it at the board, where it hit the shoulder symbol.

_That shouldn't be too painful._

"...Ah!" Mayu gripped her right shoulder, and nearly fell off the stool in pain, Sashiro barely making it to her, catching her in his arms.

"Mayu?! Mayu, your shoulder...is it okay?"

She gave a tiny nod, but he saw tears rolling down her cheeks. "...It...hurts...a little..."

_The pain is getting worse the further we play._

"Decim, please."

Sashiro saw the black haired woman starring at Decim, pleading with him.

"We don't have to use the remote again. They're going to play it through."

_She's trying to defend us?...The remote._

He turned around, still cradling Mayu, and saw Decim holding the remote. He glanced at the woman, still without a single shred of emotion.

"Nona has asked that I do."

Without further explanation, he pressed the button.


	6. The Regret Upon Realization

_Nona?_

Sashiro's vision went white, and he saw himself walking up the stairs at the party, no one paying any mind to him.

_I'm about to take out my target._

He peeks around the corner to see a guard in front of a creamy door, where he knew his target was. Glancing back downstairs he saw Tadashi's rival, glamorous in his three piece emerald suit as he boasted to the other guests.

_No one ever need the noise that came from his mouth._

Just as the bodyguard was turning to knock on the door, Sashiro dashed behind him and hit him on the back of the neck. The man crumpled to the floor in silence, leaving him wide open to attack. He stepped over the body, and reached for the handle.

_Wait._

His hand hovers above the handle.

_I can't do this – the heir. It's a child. I don't kill children. Kinto wouldn't want this of me._

"_**You're in too deep now."**_

_What?_

His vision shifts to the scene of his parent's murder.

_No._

He finds his younger self starring in horror at his mother and father – then over to the body in front of his own feet. A middle aged man, greying hair, well built, scar on his top lip, smelling of yeast. The man's mouth moves slowly into a grin.

"_**You're just like me now."**_

Sashiro sees the younger him, eyes wide, stumble back in terror. "No...I'm not a murderer!"

"_**He was...gonna find me any way...now, thanks to you...I don't owe him a thing..."**_

The body writhes a little before flopping into a motionless rest, and Sashiro can't find the strength to take his eyes off of the bullet hole in the back of the man's head. His own little fingers shake, still holding the gun.

"...I...I...mama..."

Tears well up in his eyes, and he begins to wail, dropping to his knees.

"I just wanted you to stop! I didn't want to kill you! It's not my fault!"

He continues to hold the gun, despite the urge to throw it out the window.

"It's not my-"

_SMACK!_

Sashiro's cheek goes hot red, and stings. He drops the gun in shock, and carefully holds his cheek, turning around to find a tall man holding his own hand out.

_Kinto._

He pulled out a cigarette and, lighting it, began to smoke in a smooth rhythm. "You killed him, so accept the blame. It's on your head."

"But...murderers are bad!"

"Sure they are, and you don't want to be a bad boy...but you've already killed someone..."

Sashiro's tears didn't stop, and he stood and clung to the man. "I-I don't know what to d-do!"

Kinto pat him on the back. "Hey now, there, there, and all that..."

"Th-there g-gone!...Ma-mama...da-daddy!"

They stood there for the longest five minutes of his life, before Kinto bent down and rubbed the tears away, where Sashiro could now see into his tired eyes.

"They're gone, and you can't bring them back. You know this, right?"

"Y-yeah, b-but-"

"You see that man? The one you shot?"

Sashiro glanced down at him. "...Y-y-yes?"

"He owed me a lot of money. He's been stealing from houses all over town for weeks now, and he's even taken down a few who tried to get in his way."

"Wh...what was his name?"

"Names of the dead don't matter."

"Y-you never tried to stop him? Y-you could have saved p-people."

"That's not how my job works."

"...What's your job?"

"I'm an assassin."

_The first time he told me, I thought I was going to pee myself._

Sashiro stood back. "...You..."

"I'm not here for you, though...at least, not to kill you." He glanced down at the bodies.

"...Got any other family relations?"

"No."

"Good...so, you've murdered a man, but don't want to be a murderer..."

"...Are assassin's murderer's?"

"Nope, not in my books."

"R-really?"

"Yup...so, if that man owed me money, and you killed him...you owe me now, right?"

"...Uh-huh."

"And you're taking your parents being stabbed in the back – literally – quite well for someone your age."

"Uh-huh."

Kinto smiled. "Wanna come with me?"

"Why?"

"You're cold, and calculating."

"How do you know?"

"You've shed your tears, and now you're moving on. If you come with me, we'll consider the money thing a thing of the past. You'll be my little student, okay?"

"...Why?"

"Because you," he ruffled Sashiro's hair, "have potential."

"...My name is Sashiro."

"Pleasure. The name's Kinto, and I'm your teacher, starting now."

_I remember how I felt the minute he said those words to me...I was happy, and scared, and sad, and angry, and exhausted, and had a sick feeling in my gut...but I wasn't alone._

"...Kinto?"

"Hm?"

Sashiro wiped his nose on his sleeve, and felt his cheeks go red. "I-I don't think I-I'm done shedding t-tears y-yet..."

Kinto wrapped his arms around him and swayed back and forth.

"It's alright, it's alright...you'll get used to it...trust me..."

The memory lapsed through multiple training sessions, his first mission on his own, every kill, every shot he took, every slit of the throat – he thought his head was going to explode.

_I get it...I've killed a lot of people...but I'm not a murderer. I kill for reasons that make sense. Murderers, no matter how sane, never have sensible reasons._

He was back in front of the door, the party going on below, the guard still unconscious beside him.

"..."

_I had to do it. It was my mission...it was just one kid.._

Carefully he opened the door, and spotted the child sitting on a lush velvet couch near a tall mirror. She was looking out the large window that took up the entire wall, looking out at the city.

_...No..._

He stepped towards he, quietly pulling the gun out from behind him.

_Wait, stop. Don't!_

The child turned their head towards him, and stood on the couch.

_Don't shoot her!_

She spots the gun as he points it at her head, and readies to scream.

_Stop it, no!_

His finger calmly pulls the trigger.

_MAYU!_

_**BANG!**_


	7. Terminating Truths

Sashiro glanced down at Mayu, still in his arms.

_I...killed her...I killed Mayu...how am I holding her? How is she alive, talking and walking?!_

"...Liar..."

"?"

Mayu shoved herself out of his arms, and crawled away beside the black haired woman.

"...Mayu...?"

"You're a liar!" Mayu stood and wiped the tears from her eyes as she glared at him. "You killed me, you shot me! You're not a friend, you're a murderer!"

"..."

_There's no more Mr. Nice guy...not any more._

He stood up. "You were my target, Mayu. Your father was a corrupt businessman, and my client wanted his business to be run into the ground. You were the weakest link in the plan, so I was paid to eliminate you."

The black haired woman backed away as Mayu clenched her tiny fists. "I should have known!"

"I would have never let you know."

"Then why are you being so nice to me?!" She shook her head. "You're a killer, a bad man! You're trying to trick me, I know it!"

"That's not true, Mayu," he objected, "I was genuinely trying to save you!"

"Liar! Murderers don't care for others!"

"I'm not a murderer!"

"You killed me!"

"Then forget about me killing you, shouldn't you be more so concerned with how you're still standing?"

"I'd say the same thing for you!"

"What?"

Mayu grabbed one of her last darts and whipped it at the board, where it pinpointed at his heart.

"You were shot, too!"

_I was shot-?!_

His heart nearly burst open as he fell to his knees again, balancing himself as his chest thumped as loud as a drum.

_I...was shot..._

His vision blurred, and he relived the last few seconds in that room, his finger pulling the trigger as Mayu screamed in utter horror.

_**BANGBANG!**_

He hadn't heard the second shot as it nearly blended with his own, but he felt the pain of something through his chest. He took the last three seconds of his life to glance at the window, where he caught sight of the reflection of the bodyguard he had knocked out, holding a pistol aimed at him from the door, smoke rising from it, recently shot.

_...We both died...together...and yet, here we are..._

He starred at the bar floor, unable to fully accept what he knew was true.

"...We're dead."

"I know that!"

"Then shut up and listen!" Sashiro stood abruptly and glared back at Mayu. "We can't play a game of life or death when we're already dead, can we?"

He turned to Decim. "What's your story, Decim? We're dead, we shouldn't be here – are you telling me that this what Hell looks like?"

Decim shook his head. "This is the place where two people who've died at the same time are brought in to be judged."

"Judged for what?"

"For where you will go – reincarnation, or the Void."

"And this Nona person runs the place, right?"

"Yes, in a manner of speaking. She has asked me to inform you of these proceedings, and asks that you complete the game."

_Unbelievable. He's admitted that we're dead, and yet he stills wants us to play? And what of this Nona? Where are they?_

"Your fifth dart, _Hajime_." Decim gestured to the board. "If you may."

As Mayu watched anxiously, he picked up the next dart.

_If I'm dead, then what does this game matter – I know where I'm going._

He tossed the dart inches over the line, letting it fall to the ground.

"Your shot, Mayu."

She gawked. "You...didn't try to hit the board?"

"Why would I? Decim can press the remote buttons all he likes. We're already dead, and I'm pretty sure you're not heading for the Void, so there's no point."

"...So you just don't care."

He sighed. "If I didn't care, why would I risk being injured to keep you from getting hurt?"

"Because you feel guilty."

_Guilty..._

His mind wandered as he remembered his first ever kill as Kinto's student. He had returned in tears, and broke down on Kinto's lap.

"Don't ever feel the need to be plagued by guilt," Kinto had told him as he had rubbed his forehead, "you'll grow used to this line of work."

"...Were they innocent?"

"No one is ever innocent, Sashiro. You're simply weeding out the worse of the crop."

_What I'm doing is cleaning up, one mess at a time._

"Whatever," Mayu cut through his thoughts and grabbed her sixth dart, "let's get this over with."

"Don't you get it? Once you're reincarnated, you won't be the same Mayu you were before."

"As long as I'm away from you, Hajime, it's fine."

_She's gone from crybaby to hopeful to kind to very, very annoying in a timespan of about one hour. This is why I never had kids._

"Sashiro Togan."

"Hm?" He turned to Decim. "What did you-"

"His name is Sashiro Togan, and he is an assassin hired by a Mr. Tadashi to kill you father, Mayu."

_Oh, so NOW he tells her my name!_

"Assassin, cleaner, killer, Hajime, Sashiro, I don't care," Mayu readied to throw,

"you take a life, you're a murderer!"

She whipped the dart out, and it hit the marker with the stomach on it.

_Perfect._

Sashiro's insides doubled over on him, and he staggered.

"...I'm through."

"?"

Mayu gripped her dress, as if she wished to tear it apart. "I'm through acting like a girly-girl, just like my father wants! I'm through pretending to be afraid of everything, being weak and fragile!...I thought I could be myself with you, Sashiro...guess I was right."

"...Do you consider soldiers murderers? Policemen? Doctors?"

"..."

"Executers? Victims of violence? Would you call someone who shot a man trying to rape them to death a murderer?"

"It's different!"

"How? All I'm doing is-"

"What did I do?!"

He stared at her as she crossed her arms. "Was it wrong of me to be born into that family?! Aren't I still innocent?!"

"...No one is innocent. Murderers kill for no reason, I kill to fix a problem."

Mayu glared daggers into him, and before he could react, she grabbed her last dart and swung it at his face.


	8. False Hopes?

_Dodge it._

Sashiro darted out of the way as the dart flew past him and lodged into the wall inches from Decim's face.

"You kill for money," Mayu spat, "that's no different than killing someone out of jealousy, or pride, or greed, or...because you're _insane_!"

"I only kill for clients who have legitimate reasons to want their targets dead," Sashiro parried, "I don't kill for fun, or for those who can't give me a good enough backing for their case."

"What about me?!"

"Your father ran a business that covered up for prostitution, slavery and illegal experimentation of unauthorized drugs on kidnapped civilians! Are you going to try and protect him?!"

"I was going to _change him_!"

Sashiro watched as she crumpled to the floor in a heap of tears.

"I was...going to change him..."

_...She really isn't some wimpy child...she knew..._

He stepped over to her and got down on one knee. "Do you really think you could've changed him? People don't change so easily."

"...I could've...tried..."

"Trying doesn't always lead to success."

"...It's called hope."

"Hope isn't real."

"...That's not true."

_Wait..._

He glanced up at the black haired lady, who gave him the most thoughtful gaze he'd ever seen. "There's always hope. Even if everything looks hopeless."

"No offence, but you're immortal. What do you know of the human world and it's hope?"

"I am a human."

_No way...if she's running the place with Decim, how can she be human?_

The woman stared at her own hand as if it were something new to her. "I don't know how I got here, or what I'm truly supposed to do – all I have is the hope that someday, everything will work out."

_How can she speak so calmly about hope, even while we're all trapped between life and death?_

"...Sashiro," Mayu whispered, "do you enjoy it?"

"Killing? Not particularly, but I have to."

"Why?"

"Because if I hadn't started, I would have been a murderer...just like the man who killed my parents."

"...Why do you still do it?"

"Because if I stop, I will no longer live for the moment, and the past will weigh me down."

"...I don't get it."

_Sometimes, neither do I._

"Sashiro," Decim spoke as monotonously as ever, "you must finish the game in order for you to be judged."

_Right, the "Game"._

He stood and grabbed his final dart.

"...Sashiro...?"

"Hm?"

"...Do you mind killing children?"

"...I don't like it, Mayu."

"Then why do it?"

_Because my life was threatened? No...because my dignity was on the line? No...because I needed to ruin that man's business? I...no..._

"...Hope's a double-edged sword, Mayu."

"How?" She sat up and slipped her sleeves back over her shoulders. "Hope is always good."

"Nothing is ever truly good. You hoped to fix a criminal, and I hoped to overcome my old fears of not being able to harm children in my line of work."

_The one thing that held Kinto back._

"...You don't think there's any hope of you being saved, do you."

"I know there's no hope. There was no hope for my parents, or my future, or your life...hope is a lie, Mayu, a fairytale."

"You must hurry," Decim cut in, "the time to be sent into the Void approaches-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know-"

"for both of you."

_Both of us?!_

He nearly dropped the dart in his hand. "Wait...you're saying...you're going to send a kid to the Void? She hasn't done anything!"

"As you said, Sashiro Togan, _no one is innocent._"

_The little-!_

"...You want to play?" He gripped the dart and held his arm back far,

"then let's play!"

He flung the dart as such great speeds that, as it crashed into the board, it ran through it and into the cylinder behind as the board shattered and fell to the ground, the score about blank.

"Sashiro has won," Decim announced, "and now, if you'll both please follow me to the elevators, we can-"

Sashiro didn't wait for him to finish explaining as he grabbed the table beside him, spun around and tossed it at Decim's head.

"I'm not through playing yet!"

Decim dashed to the side as the table smashed into pieces against the wall, splattering onto the ground in piles of splinters. Sashiro took the chance and, zipping beside the man, drew out a pistol from his hidden pant pocket, and held it near his temple.

"Don't move."

"Sashiro!" Mayu stood and shook her head in dismay. "What are you doing?!"

"He won't send you to the Void," Sashiro spoke through gritted teeth, "he won't!"

"Stop it, the black haired woman cried out, "don't lose your head!"

"I'm not the one about to lose his head!"

Decim stood perfectly still, his face as void of emotion as usual. "You don't enjoy killing, yet you are a killer. You don't like murderers, yet you work for them. You hat killing children, and yet you did. You don't believe in hope, and yet you hope that I will change my mind and save Mayu?"

Sashiro bit his lip. "It's complicated – humans are complicated! Not that you'd ever understand."

"No, I suppose not."

"Then what right do you have to judge us?!"

"What right do you have to play judge, jury and executioner?"

Sashiro's hand wavered on the trigger. "I...you aren't...we're different."

"Yes, and yet you fight for something you're against. You cannot kill and hate killing."

"You don't know!"

"Explain to me."

_If I've even been tempted to pull the trigger so badly..._

"The police will kill criminals, and everybody's fine with it, because they just so happen to be available for interviews and conference meetings. An assassin, like me, kills a criminal? We're officially the bad guys, because we're secretive."

"And paid by other criminals. It loops, does it not?"

"I don't have a choice any more!"

"You did have a choice. You always had a choice. You simply didn't want to admit it."

_...I could've died instead of killing...I could've been arrested and taken into special care instead of hunting...I could have made so many choices..._

"Sashiro," Mayu sighed, "stop lying to yourself. Admit it, please – you're scared of being too hopeful, right?"

"...No!"

"Wait, stop, Sashiro!"

_**BANG!**_


	9. Dancing to Dodge from Death

"...I hope you have insurance for the roof."

Decim sighed and glanced up at the ceiling, where the bullet had struck a small dent. "I will repair it shortly."

Sashiro hadn't had time to react. As he was pulling the trigger against Decim's head, he felt something pull his arm up, causing him to shoot the ceiling, and now found thin strings holding his arm up, tightening around his wrist and elbow. An extra string grabbed his gun, pulled it away and disappeared into the darkness of the roof.

"Sashiro," Mayu gasped, "please, don't shoot anyone! I thought you were supposed to be calm, cool, collected! Don't fly off the handle like that, you're a _killer_, for crying out loud!"

"So let me get this straight," he turned to her and snapped, "you're the one who finds out she's being sent to the never-ending Void, and yet I'm the only one trying to stop it?"

"You can't stop it!"

"At least I'm trying! Aren't you the least bit scared?"

"Of course I am," she snapped back before regaining her composure, "...I told you, that whimpering baby from before is just an act I put on, one my father always wants. I'm dead now, so I don't need to create that wall – this is the real me, and this is the real you! You're afraid, confused, admit it!"

"...I can't show that kind of weakness."

"Who cares?! We're already dead!"

"I care!"

Mayu dramatically moaned and seemed to try and pull herself off the ground by her hair. "Stop acting so cool! Murderers aren't cool, no matter how little emotion you show!"

"I'm not doing it for the cool factor!"

"Then why-"

"It's a weakness that I learned to overcome!"

"Emotions aren't a weakness, but killing is!"

Sashiro was caught off guard by the black haired woman's interruption. He and Mayu turned to find her glaring at him.

"...What?"

"Don't you get it?" The woman crossed her arms and stared at the floor. "It takes a strong person to be able to show emotion, to accept when they're confused, or scared, or tired. It also takes great strength to be able to live with someone you don't get along with, for years, for decades."

She glanced back at Sashiro, a deep sadness behind her gaze.

"The weak are the ones who try and erase their problems from the world."

_No...that can't be weakness...weakness is letting your emotions get the better of you...that's what you taught me...Kinto..._

"...Decim," Sashiro turned back to their host, "you can't send Mayu to the Void. She hasn't done anything."

"As you said, no one is-"

"I know what I said! I was...I was wrong!"

"Were you?"

"...Well, no, not really, but..."

Sashiro didn't know how to explain it. He knew that no one was innocent of sin, that all of humanity was putrid with it.

"...Maybe Mayu isn't innocent, but...she hasn't done anything that means she deserves to be banished into the Void. She's lived a clean life."

"It doesn't matter. She will enter the Void, and so shall you."

"Why, you-!"

As Sashiro moved closer to Decim, he felt himself pulled off the ground and wrapped in strings, his limbs tied. "H-how are you doing this?!"

"Sashiro!" Mayu ran over to him. "Are you alright?"

"...Mayu."

"Yes?"

He smirked. "You really need to make up your mind. Do you hate me, or enjoy my company?"

She gave him a tiny pout. "That's not fair, Sashiro, why can't I do both?"

"That's not how it works. Now, please step back."

"What? Why?"

"Because I'm about to kill our host here."

"You cannot," Decim replied as Mayu stepped back, "you must accept your fate."

"Nobody tells me when I'm going to be banished into some Void without a fight!"

_Good thing I brought my advanced set of tools._

Shifting his right sleeve around, he pulled out a small dagger, and cut through the strings. As Decim watched in ever mild surprise, Sashiro sliced himself free, landed quietly on the ground, and lunged at him.

Decim slid to the left, then to the right as Sashiro parried his movements, rapidly swiping his weapon at the host. "You move pretty fast for a...ghost?"

"Arbiter, actually."

Strings shot out and wrapped around Sashiro's knife arm, but he slid out another knife from his left pocket and cut it loose. "You should really check your victims before you set these games up."

"You aren't our victims," Decim answered as he jumped back, "you died because you shot Mayu and were then shot by a guard."

"How did you know?"

"I have your memories."

"How?"

Decim waved his arms around, and Sashiro felt his knives yanked form his grip and thrown across the room. "No-!"

_He was constantly dodging – I couldn't do anything!_

Strings wrapped around his waist and arms, lassoing his elbows tight against his sides and hanging him above Decim's head.

"There will be no more fighting."

"I will fight until you let Mayu reincarnate!"

"My, my, my," a young female voice came from behind them, "aren't we valiant?"

Sashiro heard a quick gasp, followed by a light _thud_. "Mayu!"

He glanced over his shoulder to see the black haired woman carrying Mayu's limp body. Beside her stood a short girl with green hair in a braided ponytail, who was smiling at them. "Hello, Sashiro Togan. Have you been enjoying your stay?"

_...Nona._

"You're the boss here."

"You could certainly say that. Would you like to talk?"

"...You're willing to negotiate?"

"Perhaps if you're willing to listen to me."

"...Why?"

"Decim will take care of the girl, but you, Sashiro – you're a special case around here."

"Don't hurt her."

Nona laughed. "You're such a strange killer."

Sashiro felt the strings loosen, and he dropped to the ground. Standing he turned to Nona, noticing her very childish appearance as the black haired woman took Mayu to a nearby couch and gently placed her against the lush pillows.

"...Let's make this quick, Nona. I think it's time you and me had a nice, long drink."


	10. Quiz Time, Followed by the Big Prize

"I wish I could always offer our clients drinks," Nona said as she poured herself a glass, "but things can get hectic around here."

Sashiro took his glass and sipped, careful to make sure there was nothing suspicious in it. "So, you're the leader of this undead organization?"

"We're Arbiters. We were never alive, so we certainly can't be undead."

"If you've never lived, then how can you know to properly judge us mortals?"

"It's our duty. Complex stuff, you know."

"..."

They sat at Decim's bar as he and the black haired woman played cards at the table beside Mayu, who was peacefully napping.

"That was awfully nice of you," Nona added when she caught him staring at the trio, "willing to die for a young girl, your target."

"I hadn't known she was my target until you let me have my memories. Now," he put his glass down and gave her a steady look, "time for my questions."

"Of course. Anything for the man who could see through us and have the guts to attack an Arbiter. Mind you, anything about our origins and other personal affairs are off limits."

"Alright, question number one. Why use some pathetic game to decide people's morals when you can easily read their memories and see their actions?"

"Our Arbiters have no human emotions, Sashiro. It's easier to judge somebody when you can see first-hand in front of you how they act."

"But who gave you the idea for the games?"

"Personal affairs. Off limits."

_This is going to be a hassle._

"Fine. Question number two."

He pointed to the black haired woman, who was currently smiling and giggling as Decim chose the wrong card. "Why is she here? She says she's like us."

"Some people are easier to judge than others."

"Uh-huh."

"...She came here with her memories of dying. That's not how it works, so, we're keeping her until Decim can properly judge her."

"She seems nice enough."

"Nice and good are two very different things, Sashiro."

Nona emptied her glass and smirked. "My turn to ask the questions – why do you kill?"

"...Because if I stop, I'll be a murderer."

"That' a strange way to think. You're a murderer every time to take a life."

"No, I'm an assassin, a...janitor, if you will. That is-"

"Until you stop, and the law catches up with you." She played with her braid. "It's strange, bizarre, really, but makes just enough sense for me not to further question it."

"Why did you lie, Nona?"

"Lie? Me?"

He glanced at Mayu. "You were never going to send her to the Void. She hasn't done anything like I have, she's..."

"She's...?"

"...Innocent. Compared to most people."

"Mayu is easy enough to read, even without memories," Nona replied, slurring her words, "but even so, children can have their dark sides, too. Announcing that she was going to be in the Void was a test on both of you. How would you both react to the news? She took it pretty well, but you..."

"Nearly killed an Arbiter."

"Can't break the habit, huh? Even in death."

"I still have my emotions down here, Nona."

"Such as your anger towards your latest and last client."

"...And myself."

"Oh?"

He sighed and rubbed his finger around the glass' edge. "I never wanted to harm a child. It wasn't right, even by assassin standards-well, Kinto's assassin standards. I did, though, and look where I am now – dead."

"Kinto was a different kind of assassin," Nona answered the silence that followed, "but an assassin no less."

"...You're going to have us judged now?"

"You've already been judged...it's time to leave, Sashiro."

Nona snapped her fingers, and Decim, bowing from his chair, cradled Mayu in his arms and led the group back to the elevators. "If you would?"

* * *

The black haired woman pressed a button, and the left elevator opened up, where Decim gently placed Mayu down in against the wall. Stepping out he pressed the button, and the doors began to close.

_I don't even get to say goodbye...what am I thinking? She wouldn't want to say goodbye, anyway...this is how life and death works...at least she won't have to deal with that man ever again._

The doors closed, and Sashiro noticed a white faced mask above it.

_...Reincarnation..._

"What will you choose?"

"What?" He glanced down at Nona. "You...want me to choose?"

"Yes. Make a choice, here and now – will you be reincarnated, or sent to the Void?"

He stared long and hard at her, then at the elevators.

"...You tease. No matter what choice I make, you guys have the final say, any ways."

"You really are smart."

He stepped into the right elevator as the doors opened, and turned to face them.

_Decim, Nona, the black haired woman...all this time, they've been the ones judging us? I never believed in this sort of afterlife, but..._

"Have my actions spoken for me?"

Decim nodded. "Yes. What you've done and said today have made it easy to judge your character."

As the doors slid closed, Sashiro smirked and gazed into Decim's emotionless eyes once more.

"...Don't judge based on those."

_Ding._

He felt the elevator begin to move.

_He was a beginner. I should have guessed. If he really was an expert at judging, then he would have known that, no matter how "nice" I am now, no matter what life I live in – I'm still, and always will be, a kill-_

He felt his breath stop, and watched in the last few seconds of his life as his skin disintegrated away, revealing nothing but the arms, legs, body –

of a puppet.

* * *

"The Void. Good work, Decim."

Decim gazed up at the red mask above Sashiro's door. "...Are you sure, Nona? He was nice."

"Nice and good are different."

"Yes, but in the end, he was good."

The black haired woman turned to both of them. "He could have been a good person if his parents hadn't been killed."

Nona wagged her finger. "He was willing to kill, and he knew that entering the elevator. He could have very well killed again. He was destined for the Void the minute he attacked the killer – now, whose up for some cards?"

**END**


End file.
